The building supplier is implementing the changes following a review of its plumbing and heating operations as it looks to deliver a more efficient and reliable product.

A total of £100m will be invested to help Wolseley become the first-choice specialist for trade customers, but it will be lowering its cost base.

This has led to Wolseley announcing that it expects around 80 branches across the UK will close, resulting in up to 800 redundancies. 

The changes will allow Wolseley to operate from three regional distribution centres in the UK instead of four, which will reduce operating costs. 

Wolseley stated that whatever the outcome of the feasibility assessment on its Worcester DC, it believed that part of its strategy would not impact roles, or the number of roles, until 2018.

The building firm will be consulting with employees at affected sites with the overall reorganising expected to take two to three years with Wolseley expected to make annualised cost savings of £25-30m. 

“We have put the customer at the heart of this review with the aim of making Wolseley the first-choice specialist merchant in our chosen markets,” said Patrick Headon, managing director of Wolseley.  

“We have a great business in the UK and there are continued opportunities for growth. 

“I’m confident the transformation programme will drive better customer service and employee engagement and improve our financial returns.”

Patrick added that the trends in its profitability had been disappointing, so it felt that it needed to take action to improve its customer proposition and the efficiency of its business.

“We have an outstanding team made up of hard-working and dedicated people across the UK and we are very conscious of the impact this transformation of the business will have on some of them. 

“We are therefore committed to carrying out this programme as sensitively as possible, using voluntary means to achieve the proposed headcount reductions wherever possible. 

“Over time, I’m confident our proposals will benefit both our colleagues in the UK and the customers they serve every day.”

Wolseley has yet to confirm which branches will be closed, stating it was too early to say and it would inform and support employees during the consultation process.